Clément Beaune

Clément Beaune (born 14 August 1981, Paris, France) is a French public servant and politician. He is the incumbent Secretary of State for European affairs in the French government, appointed on 26 July 2020.[1][2][3]

Clément Beaune
Secretary of State for European Affairs
Assumed office
26 July 2020
PresidentEmmanuel Macron
Prime MinisterJean Castex
Preceded byAmélie de Montchalin
Personal details
Born (1981-08-14) 14 August 1981
Paris, France
NationalityFrench
Political partyLa République En Marche! (after 2016), Territoires de progrès (TdP) (after 2020)
Alma materSciences Po
College of Europe
École nationale d'administration
OccupationCivil servant, politician

Background and early life

Beaune was born in Paris. His mother was a nurse from Marseilles, and his father was a biochemistry teacher and researcher from the Auvergne.[4][5] Beaune is a graduate of the Institut d'études politiques de Paris,[4][6] the Bruges College of Europe ("Montesquieu Year", 2004-2005)[6] and the École nationale d'administration ("Willy Brandt Year", 2007-2009).[7][8][6] As part of his studies he spent the academic year 2001/2002 in Ireland via the Erasmus Programme, studying at Trinity College, Dublin and living with Irish and other European students in a rundown house at the Seapoint Dart station. “Sometimes it was like camping. The heating didn’t work and there was rarely hot water. Real student life. It was for me a year of joy and freedom.”[2] Beaune has described his family as left-wing. He defines himself as "Delorist". He campaigned for François Hollande in the 2012 Presidential Election.[4]

Early career

After graduating the École nationale d'administration in 2009, Beaune began his career as a civil servant in the French government's Budget Directorate, as Deputy Head of the Finance Acts Bureau.[9][6] In 2011, he became Deputy Head of the Research and Higher Education Bureau.[6]

From 2013 to 2014, he worked in the office of Jean-Marc Ayrault, then Prime Minister of France, as a budgetary technical advisor.[6][10] He then spent a brief period as an Economic, Financial and Monetary Affairs advisor to the French Permanent Representation in Brussels in 2014,[9] before returning to French domestic government service at the Ministry of the Economy and Finance in the same year. Here he initially worked for the offices of both Carole Delga (Secretary of Commerce, Crafts, Consumer Affairs, and Social Solidarity Economy) and Emmanuel Macron (the Minister of the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs) as European, International and Budgetary Affairs Adviser. From 2015 until 2016 he was reassigned to work exclusively in Macron's office.[11][6][12]

From 2016 to 2017, he was Deputy CEO of Groupe ADP.[13][6]

In 2017, after the election of Emmanuel Macron as President of France, Beaune became a Special Adviser within the Diplomatic Unit of the Presidency of the Republic,[11] specialising in European issues,[6] and on the G20.[9]

In politics

Beaune worked on Emmanuel Macron's presidential campaign, advising Macron on European affairs, between February and May 2017.[11]

Beaune was reportedly considered for ministerial office as Secretary of State for European Affairs in 2019 upon the departure of Nathalie Loiseau;[14][7] in the event Amélie de Montchalin was appointed. Beaune was also expected to appear on the LREM candidate list in the 2019 European elections.[15] He was subsequently named Secretary of State for European Affairs on 26 July 2020, serving under the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian in the Jean Castex government.[16]

In November 2020, Beaune joined the Territoires de progrès Party (TdP), founded earlier in 2020. The party is ideologically on the left wing of the presidential majority.<[5][17]

Personal life

In December 2020, Beaune came out as gay in an interview with the French LGBT lifestyle magazine Têtu.[18] Beaune said he wanted to show that being gay was “not an obstacle” to becoming a government minister, and condemned homophobia in other European countries. “I wouldn’t want people to say I am fighting against ‘LGBT-free’ zones because I am gay,” he said. “It would be insulting to say I am leading that fight for myself. … However, as European affairs minister, I have an additional responsibility. I must fight for tolerance.” In the same interview Beaune announced that he planned to visit Polish “LGBT-free” cities early in 2021. He also intended to meet with an abortion rights group in Poland.[19] In the same 2020 interview Beaune disclosed his family background included Jewish relatives who suffered deportation during The Holocaust.[20]

Beaune is a fencing enthusiast.[4]

References
  1. "Gay French minister to visit 'LGBT-free zone' in Poland". France 24. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  2. Marlowe, Lara (5 December 2020). "'Like talking to the president': Macron's go-to man for Europe". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  3. "Clément Beaune". POLITICO. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  4. Jeudy, Bruno (6 August 2020). "Clément Beaune, le surdoué de la Macronie". Paris Match. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  5. Faye, Olivier (30 September 2020). "Clément Beaune, l'homme de confiance du chef de l'État". Le Monde.
  6. "Biography, Minister of State for European Affairs". France Diplomacy. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  7. "Clément Beaune, l'indispensable européen de l'ombre". Le Monde. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  8. "L'Elysée nomme onze secrétaires d'Etat pour compléter le gouvernement". Le Monde. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  9. "Clément BEAUNE, conseiller Europe et G20 à la présidence de la République". Forum de la performance. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  10. Auffray, Alain (15 May 2019). "Clément Beaune, le discret architecte de l'union macronienne". Libération. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  11. "Clément Beaune, Secrétaire d'État auprès du ministre de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères, chargé des Affaires européennes". Gouvernement. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  12. "Arrêté du 30 novembre 2015 portant nomination au cabinet du ministre de l'économie, de l'industrie et du numérique (NOR : EINP1528606A)". Légifrance. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  13. "Nominations au sein du Groupe ADP,21.11.16" (PDF). parisaeroport. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  14. Albertini, Dominique (26 July 2020). "Secrétaire d'Etat : Clément Beaune, le "Monsieur Europe" de l'Elysée sorti de l'ombre". Libération. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  15. "Pléthorique, le gouvernement Castex est enfin au complet". Mediapart. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  16. "Qui sont les 11 secrétaires d'Etat du gouvernement Castex ?". France Info. 26 July 2020.
  17. Segaunes, Nathalie (20 November 2020). "Clément Beaune rejoint les macronistes de gauche". L'Opinion (in French). Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  18. J. Cl. (8 December 2020). "Le secrétaire d'État Clément Beaune "assume" son homosexualité et veut montrer que "ce n'est pas un obstacle"". Le Parisien. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  19. Ring, Trudy (8 December 2020). "Gay French Diplomat Pledges to Visit Poland's 'LGBT-Free' Zones". Advocate. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  20. "I come from a family in which people were deported because they were Jewish, only two generations ago. That resonates with me." Reid-Smith, Tris (9 December 2020). "French minister Clément Beaune comes out as gay, will fight hate in Poland and Hungary". Gay Star News. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
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